Mixing blade for drink preparation

ABSTRACT

A mixing blade ( 10 ) for mixing a drink in a cup ( 20 ) having a dome-shaped lid ( 30 ) with an opening ( 32 ) therein is provided. The mixing blade comprises tow hollow truncated cones ( 12, 14 ) attached base-to-base. A top side of one cone has an opening ( 18 ) therein for attaching to a rotatable shaft( 2 ). The cone-shaped walls each have a plurality of openings ( 16 ) therein. To mix a drink, the ingredients are measured and placed in the cup and the lid is placed on the cup. The mixing blade is inserted through the opening in the lid and is spun or rotated for a predetermined mixing time. After the blade is removed from the drink, the drink is served and the blade is sanitized in a sanitizing solution before being used to mix another drink. The mixing blade is particularly suitable for the preparation of frozen drinks.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/170,800, filed on Dec. 15, 1999, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

N/A

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fast food establishments often offer frozen drinks that are prepared forthe customer at the point of sale. Examples of a frozen drink includethe Coffee and Fruit Coolatta® drinks offered by Dunkin' Donuts. Drinkpreparation typically comprises measuring two or more ingredients, suchas diary, flavoring syrup, frozen base, etc., in a measuring cup, whichmay subsequently serve as the serving cup. The ingredients are pouredfrom the measuring cup into a stainless steel mixing cup or malt cup.The ingredients are mixed for a predetermined mixing time using a mixingapparatus having a mixing blade. The mixing blade is sanitized for apredetermined sanitizing time in a sanitizing solution. The mixedingredients are poured into a disposable serving cup and a lid is placedonto the disposable serving cup. The frozen drink is served along with astraw to the customer. The disposable serving cup may serve as themeasuring cup, and the preparation may comprise one or more additionalsteps, such as the addition of one or more toppings, e.g., whipped creamand cinnamon powder. Frozen drink preparation is time consuming andslows the servicing of fast food customers who desire and expect quickservice.

Some prior art mixing blades are illustrated in FIGS. 13-18. Theseblades are commercially available, but are not used for and are notsuitable for mixing frozen drinks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a mixing blade and a method for preparinga drink, particularly a frozen drink, using the mixing blade, in whichthe ingredients are measured directly into a disposable serving cup andmixed therein with the mixing blade. The mixing blade is affixed to arotatable shaft of a mixing apparatus and is sized to pass through anopening in a domed lid placed on the serving cup containing theingredients to be mixed. The domed lid keeps the ingredients fromsplattering outside of the cup during mixing.

In one embodiment, the mixing blade has a hollow shape generallycomprising a top cone frustum portion oriented base-to-base with abottom cone frustum portion. Openings, such as generally triangularopenings, are disposed on the sides of the top and bottom portions. Thetop side of the mixing blade has an opening sized for receiving a boltused to affix the mixing blade to the rotating shaft, and the bottomside of the mixing blade is open.

The mixing blade facilitates an improved method for preparing a drink,particularly a frozen drink, wherein the measured ingredients remain inthe disposable cup for the mixing step to thereby reduce the number ofsteps required to prepare the frozen drink. In contrast to the larger,metal prior art mixing blades, the mixing blade of the present inventionis smaller and preferably formed of a plastic material, so that it doesnot cut the plastic disposable serving cup during mixing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description of the invention in conjunction with thedrawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a mixing blade in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2A is a top view of the mixing blade of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a first side view of the mixing blade of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2C is a second side view of the mixing blade of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is an illustration of a domed lid having an opening for thepassage of the mixing blade of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3B is an illustration of the mixing blade of FIG. 1 positionedunder the domed lid of a disposable serving cup containing ingredientsto be mixed;

FIG. 4 is flow diagram of a frozen drink preparation procedure utilizingthe mixing blade of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5-11 are illustrations of a variety of alternative embodiments ofthe mixing blade of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a domed lid having a wide-diameter opening; and

FIGS. 13-18 are illustrations of prior art large-diameter metal mixingblades.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A perspective view of a mixing blade 10 in accordance with the inventionis illustrated in FIG. 1. The mixing blade is made from a suitablematerial, preferably a plastic such as DELRIN®, although a metal such asstainless steel may be used also. A top view and first and second sideviews of the mixing blade 10 are illustrated in FIGS. 2A-C. The mixingblade 10 has a hollow shape generally consisting of a truncated top cone12 oriented base-to-base with a truncated bottom cone 14. The truncatedcones are preferably cone frustum portions having parallel top andbottom sides. The mixing blade 10 has a maximum diameter, D, that issized to permit passage of the mixing blade 10 through an opening 32 ina domed lid 30 that is illustrated in FIG. 3A. The opening 32 may have adiameter of 1 inch, so D is smaller than 1 inch for use with this lid.The frozen drink may alternatively be prepared using a domed lid 130having a wide-diameter opening 132, as illustrated in FIG. 12.

Four equally spaced and generally triangular openings 16 are disposed onthe sides of both the top and bottom frustum portions 12, 14. Thetriangle bases are oriented toward the bases of the frustum portions 12,14 so that the triangle tops point toward the ends of the mixing blade10. The top side of the mixing blade 10 has an opening 18 sized forreceiving a bolt 40 used to affix the mixing blade to the rotatableshaft 42, and the bottom side of the mixing blade 10 is open. It will beappreciated that the mixing blade may be affixed to the rotatable shaftin any other suitable manner.

The mixing blade 10 is shown positioned under the domed lid 30 of adisposable serving cup 20 containing ingredients 22 to be mixed in FIG.3B. The disposable serving cup 20 may include one or more markings 24 orsurface features used during measuring to indicate the specified amountof a particular ingredient. The disposable serving cup 20 is initiallyplaced under the mixing blade 10, which is affixed to the rotatableshaft 42 attached to a motorized mixing apparatus (not shown). The domedlid 30 has an opening 32 and the maximum diameter, D, of the mixingblade 10 is sized so that the domed lid 30 can pass over the mixingblade 10 as the disposable serving cup 20 is raised. The disposableserving cup 20 is raised until the mixing blade 10 is positionedpreferably at the bottom of the cup 20 to thereby ensure that theingredients are properly mixed. Alternatively, the mixing blade may belowered through the domed lid into the cup.

A flow diagram of a method for preparing a frozen drink using theabove-described mixing blade 10 is shown in FIG. 4. The frozen drinkorder is taken at step 402. The ingredients are measured, preferably byaccumulating the ingredients 22 in the disposable serving cup 20, instep 404. When all the ingredients 22 have been measured and are in thecup 20, a domed lid 30 is placed onto the cup 20 at step 406.

The cup 20 is placed onto the rotatable shaft 42 as described above atstep 408. The ingredients are mixed by rotating or spinning the mixingblade 10 for a predetermined time, typically 3 to 5 seconds, at step410. The domed lid keeps the ingredients from splattering outside of thecup. After mixing is performed and the cup 20 is removed from the shaft40, the mixing blade 10 and shaft 40 are sanitized at step 412. Asanitizing cup (not shown) containing a sanitizing solution is placedonto the shaft and the mixing blade is rotated for a predeterminedsanitizing time, preferably 1 second. As indicated at step 414, themixing blade 10 is brushed clean periodically, preferably every 4 hoursand using a wire-type brush (not shown) to facilitate the cleaning ofthe triangular openings 16.

Any requested toppings are added to the mixed drink at step 416.Preferably, the toppings are added without removal of the lid 30.Lastly, the disposable serving cup containing the prepared frozen drinkis served to the customer, usually along with a straw, at step 418.

Illustrations of a variety of alternative embodiments of the mixingblade 10 are illustrated in FIGS. 5-11. For example, size and angles ofthe truncated cones may be varied, as illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. Theopenings in the cone-shaped walls may be triangular, oval (FIGS. 7, 8,and 11), diamond-shaped (FIGS. 8-10), or any other desired shape. Thecones may be oriented with their more narrow top sides abutting, as inFIG. 8. Only one truncated cone may be provided, as in FIG. 9. A singletruncated cone having two wall portions with different conic angles maybe used. A single truncated cone and an abutting cylinder may beprovided, as in FIGS. 10 and 11.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention it will nowbecome apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that otherembodiments incorporating the concepts of the present invention couldalso be utilized. Accordingly, it is submitted that the invention shouldnot be limited to the described embodiment but rather should be limitedonly by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mixing blade for mixing a drink in a cup havinga dome-shaped lid with an opening therein, the mixing blade comprising:a hollow truncated cone comprising a cone-shaped wall, a top side and abottom side, the top side having an opening therein, the bottom sidehaving an opening therein, and the cone-shaped wall having a pluralityof openings therein, the cone having a diameter sized to allow passageof the cone through the opening in the dome-shaped lid, wherein theopenings in the cone-shaped wall are triangular, oval, ordiamond-shaped.
 2. The mixing blade of claim 1, wherein the hollowtruncated cone comprises a first hollow truncated cone; and furthercomprising a second hollow truncated cone comprising a cone-shaped wall,a top side and a bottom side, the top side having an opening therein,the bottom side having an opening therein, and the cone-shaped wallhaving a plurality of openings therein, the second hollow truncated coneoriented in abutting relationship with the first hollow truncated cone.3. The mixing blade of claim 2, wherein the first hollow truncated coneand the second hollow truncated cone are oriented with respective bottomsides abutting.
 4. The mixing blade of claim 2, wherein the first hollowtruncated cone and the second hollow truncated cone are oriented withrespective top sides abutting.
 5. The mixing blade of claim 1, whereinthe openings in the cone-shaped wall are equally spaced around thecone-shaped wall.
 6. The mixing blade of claim 1, wherein the pluralityof openings in the cone-shaped wall comprises four openings.
 7. Themixing blade of claim 1, wherein the openings in the cone-shaped wallare triangular with bases oriented toward the bottom side of the hollowtruncated cone.
 8. The mixing blade of claim 1, wherein the opening inthe top side is sized to receive a rotatable shaft.
 9. The mixing bladeof claim 8, wherein the hollow truncated cone is affixed to therotatable shaft by a bolt.
 10. The mixing blade of claim 1, wherein thehollow truncated cone comprises a cone frustum portion.
 11. The mixingblade of claim 1, wherein the hollow truncated cone comprises a firstcone-shaped wall having a first conic angle and a second cone-shapedwall having a second conic angle greater than the first conic angle. 12.A mixing blade for mixing a drink in a cup having a dome-shaped lid withan opening therein, the mixing blade comprising: a hollow truncated conecomprising a cone-shaped wall, a top side and a bottom side, the to sidehaving an opening therein, the bottom side having an opening therein,and the cone-shaped wall having a plurality of openings therein, thecone having a diameter sized to allow passage of the cone through theopening in the dome-shaped lid; and a cylindrical portion abutting thebottom side of the hollow truncated cone.
 13. A method for mixing adrink using the mixing blade of claim 1, comprising: providing themixing blade of claim 1, a cup, and a dome-shaped lid with an openingtherein sized to allow passage of the mixing blade therethrough, the lidadapted to fasten to the top of the cup; measuring ingredients into thecup; placing the lid on the cup; inserting the mixing blade through theopening in the lid and into the cup; rotating the mixing blade to mixthe ingredients for a predetermined mixing time; and removing the mixingblade.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising sanitizing themixing blade by placing the mixing blade in a sanitizing solution for apredetermined sanitizing time.
 15. The method of claim 13, furthercomprising cleaning the mixing blade with a brush.
 16. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising serving the drink in the cup.
 17. A drinkpreparation assembly comprising: the mixing blade of claim 1; adisposable mixing and serving cup; and a domed lid adapted to fasten tothe disposable mixing and serving cup, the domed lid having an openingtherein for passage of the mixing blade therethrough.
 18. The drinkpreparation assembly of claim 17, wherein the disposable mixing andserving cup includes ingredient measuring indicia thereon.
 19. The drinkpreparation assembly of claim 17, wherein the disposable mixing andserving cup comprises a plastic cup.